2019 presidency: Major Islamic movement tells members who to vote for

A major Islamic group&comma; the Jama’atul Izalatul Bidi’a Waikamatus Sunnah &lpar;JIBWIS&rpar;&comma; one of the largest Islamic societies in Nigeria&comma; Chad&comma; Niger&comma; and Cameroon&comma; has endorsed President Muhammadu Buhari for a second term of office&period;

Buhari of the All Progressives Congress &lpar;APC&rpar; will slug it out with Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party &lpar;PDP&rpar; next month&period;

NAN reports that leader of the committee of preachers of the group&comma; Dr Ibrahim Jalo Jalingo&comma; announced the adoption of President Buhari for the Feb&period; 16 presidential election at a Colloquium in Jimeta&comma; Yola&comma; on Friday&period;

President Buhari was represented at the event by the Permanent Secretary&comma; State House&comma; Jalal Arabi&comma; his Senior Special Assistants&comma; Sarki Abba &lpar;Household&rpar; and Garba Shehu &lpar;Media and Publicity&rpar; and a nephew&comma; Musa Daura&period;

Jalingo hinged the association’s support to the Buhari administration’s achievements in fighting corruption&comma; commitment in the fight against Boko Haram insurgency&comma; the reform and diversification of the economy and agriculture revolution&period;

‘‘The people have endorsed the performance of the Buhari administration at the Centre during the past three-and-a-half years and that is why we have decided to tell all our members in Nigeria to vote for President Muhammadu Buhari and all other candidates working with him&comma;” he said&period;

According to the Islamic leader&comma; the Buhari-led government at the Centre is moving in the right direction and the Izala movement has put its seal of approval on it&period;

The Imam&comma; who emphasized President Buhari’s personal qualities and humble background&comma; warned against dishonest people who had embarked on propaganda and incitement to thwart the President’s re-election&period;

He described them as “enemies of the people who must never again be entrusted with power&period;

He said&colon; “Buhari is an honest person&period; He has kept the public trust&period; He was a Governor and Minister of petroleum&period;

“He was a General Officer Commanding and Military Head of State&period; He chaired the Petroleum Trust Fund&comma; PTF&period; He ended all these assignments without an oil well or personal fortune&period;

“Come out and vote for him&comma;” he charged the crowd&period;Dishonest people want to stop him&comma; using religion&comma; kidnapping and all manner of crimes as subterfuge&period;

‘‘Boko Haram occupation&comma; cattle rustling&comma; the bombing of mosques&comma; churches and in marketplaces is now history&period; Nobody should deceive you with lies about hunger&period; They have nothing to offer&period;’’

In his address&comma; the National Chairman of JBWIS&comma; Dr Bala Lau prayed that the nation would continue to experience growth and development under President Buhari&period;

Also in attendance were the Governors of Adamawa and Zamfara&comma; Deputy Governors from Bauchi and Taraba and some members of the National Assembly&period;